Missing Since: 1982-09-13 Location: Atwater, California
Pamela was last seen on the morning of September 13, 1982, after she was dropped off at school in Atwater, California. She was talking to an unknown individual on a pay phone in front of the school. When her mother went to pick her up at 1:30 p.m. that day, Pamela was nowhere to be found. Her mother waited half an hour, then asked the school to page her. She waited another half-hour, but Pamela did not respond to the page, so her mother contacted Pamela’s father. They reported her disappearance to the police at 4:30 p.m., but authorities refused to accept a missing persons report until 24 hours had passed. Pamela has never been heard from again. Pamela was a senior at Atwater High School in 1982, and was planning to graduate early. In addition to being an advanced student, she was a classical pianist, has a black belt in karate and was active in aerobics. At the time of her disappearance, Pamela lived on Rainbow Lane with her parents and younger brother. Her father died in 1986 and her mother remarried and moved to Oregon. Her mother is still alive and searching for her. While some agencies classify her as a runaway, it’s unclear what happened to her. Since her disappearance she hasn’t applied for a driver’s license or used her Social Security number. Some agencies may list September 13, 1986 as the date Pamela left her family’s home. Some agencies give her date of birth as September 21, 1965. Her hometown may be listed as Merced, California in some reports. That city’s police are assisting with the investigation into Pamela’s disappearance. Investigating Agency Merced County Sheriff’s Department 209-385-7444 209-385-7551 Merced Police Department 209-385-6912 Source Information Merced County Sheriff’s Department California Attorney General’s Office The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children NewsLibrary The Merced Sun-Star Updated 7 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated October 22, 2025; picture added, clothing/jewelry description updated.